Are Bratwurst Precooked? (German Sausages Cooked + More)

Have you ever asked yourself or your friend if Bratwurst or German sausages are precooked? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

It’s that time of year again! With warm weather stretching later into the evening hours comes backyard grilling with family and friends.

If you’re interested in cooking up some bratwurst sausages for dinner, you, like many others, may wonder “Are bratwurst precooked?” According to The German Food Guide, bratwursts are often sold precooked because they have a longer shelf life and are much quicker to cook. You can usually tell the difference simply by their appearance. Generally, cooked bratwursts will be brown in color and firmer to the touch while raw bratwursts are more pink in color and softer.

If you’re still unsure, be sure to ask the butcher or deli staff.

Interested in learning more about the consequences of eating raw bratwurst, how to cook raw bratwurst, the types of bratwursts you can buy, and a delicious recipe? Keep reading the article below to find out!

Can you get sick from eating undercooked bratwurst?

Yes, most definitely, yes. According to My Cleveland Clinic, anytime you cook white meat such as chicken or pork it is very important to make sure that it is cooked all the way through otherwise you may face the food-borne disease known as trichinosis.

This is caused by eating raw or undercooked meats that are infested with worm larvae called trichinella spiralis.

Common symptoms of trichinosis include diarrhea, chills, fever, abdominal pain, and headaches while more severe symptoms may include inflammation of the heart, difficulty breathing, and coordinating movement.

Unfortunately, the symptoms often occur up to 10-14 days after consuming the meat and mild cases may be mistaken for the flu.

As failure to treat symptoms could be fatal, treatment should be completed as soon as possible. After diagnosis, your doctor would likely provide medications to help get rid of the parasites as well as medications to help with pain and inflammation. 

Read also: Are Johnsonville Smoked Brats Precooked (10 Precooked Brats)

How to cook raw bratwursts?

The tricky part about cooking bratwurst is being able to cook the meat all the way through without burning the outside.

Because these sausages are often made using pork, it is important that the meat is fully cooked in order to prevent food potential food poisoning.

The German Food Guide suggests two different options for cooking raw bratwursts. First, you can precook the sausages by boiling them for five to ten minutes, then pan frying or grilling them to get a crispier skin.

The second option is to fry or grill them on a low setting while occasionally spritzing them with water to prevent the skin from burning.

What kinds of bratwurst are there?

As it turns out, there are actually many different kinds of bratwurst. There are over 50 kinds of bratwurst originating from different regions in Germany.

They all vary in size, shape, meat source, texture, and taste.

Some of the most common types of bratwursts include:

• Coburger Bratwurst
• Kulmbacher Bratwurst
• Nordhessische Bratwurst
• Thüringer Rostbratwurst
• Fränkische Bratwurst
• Nürnberger Rostbratwurst
• Rote Wurst
• Würzburger Bratwurst

Read also: Are Johnsonville Cheddar Brats precooked (Ready To Eat?)

What is the difference between sausage and bratwurst?

According to The Kitchn, sausage is a dried or fresh minced meat product that is generally made from pork, veal, chicken, beef, or turkey.

It is then mixed with a variety of herbs and spices. Dried sausage, such as pepperoni, can generally be eaten as is whereas fresh sausage usually requires cooking.

Bratwursts are simply a type of fresh link sausage generally made from pork and veal with seasonings such as coriander, caraway, ginger, or nutmeg.

What goes good with bratwurst?

As a more distinguished version of the classic hot dog with its mixture of pork, veal, and spices such as nutmeg, caraway, and coriander it’s no wonder we like to dress them up with a variety of different toppings or sides.

A few pairing suggestions from Insanely Good Recipes include hard rolls, sauerkraut, mustard, kartoffelsalat (aka potato salad), grilled corn on the cob, sweet and sour red cabbage, coleslaw, caramelized onions, grilled veggies, bacon, kartoffelpuffer (aka potato pancakes), spaetzle (German egg noodles or dumplings), applesauce, and of course beer!

Bratwurst with Beer and Onions Recipe

This easy recipe from Foodie Crush is a great main course that takes about an hour to prepare and serves six people.

Bratwurst with beer and onions Ingredients:

• 6 bratwursts
• 6 buns
• 1 bottle of amber or nut brown ale
• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds
• 1 ½ sliced yellow onions
• 2 tablespoons of butter

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and caraway seeds and cook until the onions start to get soft.
2. Season with kosher salt.
3. Add the bottle of ale and once you bring it to a low boil, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Be sure to rotate the bratwurst from time to time while cooking.
4. Once the bratwursts are cooked, transfer the broth and onions into a bowl, leaving the bratwursts in the skillet. Increase the heat and start to brown the sausages on all sides. Once the bratwursts are evening browned and the skin is lightly crispy, add the broth and onions back into the skillet. Or if preferred, you can also grill the bratwursts rather than fry them for an extra crispy texture with a smoky flavor.
5. Finally, serve the bratwurst in a warm bun. Top it with the onions and mustard.

References

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7142-trichinosis-food-poisoning

http://www.germanfoodguide.com/bratwurst.cfm